Marcus Aurelius:FibSeq: So when do they issue refs mace? Not just the handheld ones, fill a camelbak with it and give them a sprayer.

Emery not going to jail is inexcusable. No business can make that kind of assault acceptable just because it happens in some kind of context.

Stopping this is simple. If you drop your gloves and fight, you're gone for 10 games. Then double the suspension every time. 20, 40, 80, 160, 320... six fights and you're effectively gone from the NHL. And then this shiat comes to an end.

Unfortunately some people seem to think that fighting is somehow a part of the game, which is utter horseshiat.

Are you talking just the instigator or both players involved? If both players then a lot of goons will be starting fights with more skilled players.

Precious Roy's Horse Dividers:I hate this Flyers team. I am open to trading anyone, up to and including Giroux. But I find it hilarious when any fans complain about a team gooning it up, as if there are not goons on every team.

It has nothing to do with "goons on every team". It has everything to do with "an entire team made up mostly of goons". Hell, they traded for Downie specifically because they thought they "needed some toughness".

Sadly, the REAL problem isn't the players. It isn't the coach. It isn't the GM, or the scouts, or the personnel dept. The primary issue is Old Man Snider, who refuses to acknowledge that the world and the sport has changed over the past 40 years. I continue to maintain that the Flyers will never win another Cup until Ed Snider is no longer the owner. Even when they do make an extended playoff run, like the year they met the Blackhawks in the Finals, the organization screws up the offseason by deciding the reason they ultimately lost was because there weren't enough big, slow, tough, low-skill players on the ice.

Vantango84:jake3988: That happened 2 years ago with Islanders vs Penguins.

DiPietro got knocked out on the first punch and it pretty much killed what was left of his career.

Difference there being that DiPietro was a willing participant in that fight.

Yeah, not the same at all. DiPietro skated to center ice and dropped the gloves with Johnson and lost the fight fair and square. Holtby stayed in the crease and didn't drop the gloves until after Emery started punching him.

What Emery did was assault. Philly lost Vinny in that brawl and Downies face got broken in a fight earlier. Maybe Philly should stop fighting? They suck at it.And I have to laugh at all of the occasional hockey fans in here and the ones who barely watch it calling for a ban on fighting. Wreck your own sport assholes. Players get hurt more by getting hit by the puck or getting body checked.

That fight wasn't a hockey fight. That was assault by Ray Emery. He should be banned at least 10 games for that horseshiat display. And the referees should be suspended a month for letting that shiat happen. That was absolutely pathetic. That was an embarrassment to the sport.

Serious question hockey fans. Anybody miss the fighting and bullsh*t in the Olympic hockey in 2010?

/would rather have 4 lines of hockey players....than have to suffer watching some f*cktard like John Scott who couldn't hold his own in beer league....really NHL, best players in the world? John f*cking Scott//25 games for Emery and jail...asshole

That fight wasn't a hockey fight. That was assault by Ray Emery. He should be banned at least 10 games for that horseshiat display. And the referees should be suspended a month for letting that shiat happen. That was absolutely pathetic. That was an embarrassment to the sport.

Well considering they just gave Scott 7 games maybe they're finally going to start dropping the hammer consistently. But I'm not holding my breath.

Serious question hockey fans. Anybody miss the fighting and bullsh*t in the Olympic hockey in 2010?

/would rather have 4 lines of hockey players....than have to suffer watching some f*cktard like John Scott who couldn't hold his own in beer league....really NHL, best players in the world? John f*cking Scott//25 games for Emery and jail...asshole

The Olympics are a different beast. It's a shortened tournament that is essentially best-on-best. You can't ahve that kind of hockey in a full pro league, there just aren't that many top tier players.

Serious question hockey fans. Anybody miss the fighting and bullsh*t in the Olympic hockey in 2010?

/would rather have 4 lines of hockey players....than have to suffer watching some f*cktard like John Scott who couldn't hold his own in beer league....really NHL, best players in the world? John f*cking Scott//25 games for Emery and jail...asshole

You cannot compare nhl hockey to olympic hockey. Olympic hockey is the best of the best of the best, sir! Not one nhl team can be loaded with olympic talent.Make another argument.

I am kind of annoyed at all of the people who say NHL will never be popular because of stuff like what Emery did. There have been cheap shiat like this going on since it has been played. And it is never going to change. And even if it did and it became a cleaner sport and there was no fighting why would you assume it would pass NBA, NFL, MLB and Nascar in American viewers?

New Age Redneck:Serious question hockey fans. Anybody miss the fighting and bullsh*t in the Olympic hockey in 2010?

It's not quite a fair question. That was all-star teams, basically, playing in something akin to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You're not going to see 4th line plugs whose jobs are to smash people and raise hell in those games.

I don't believe you'll ever see fighting completely taken out of the NHL. You just won't. But I think what will happen is that there's going to be some rules of engagement created that will determine if a fight goes ahead or not. In fact, you're already seeing that to some extent with the helmet rule.

I think that if the NHL goes and makes sensible rules for fighting, you'll see a overall reduction in fights and a near complete elimination of stupid crap like what Emery did. The hard part will be explaining the point of those rules to the general public.

I don't believe you'll ever see fighting completely taken out of the NHL. You just won't. But I think what will happen is that there's going to be some rules of engagement created that will determine if a fight goes ahead or not. In fact, you're already seeing that to some extent with the helmet rule.

I want to know why the official didn't break up the Emery assault before it happened when he took his mask off.

ontariolightning:I am kind of annoyed at all of the people who say NHL will never be popular because of stuff like what Emery did. There have been cheap shiat like this going on since it has been played. And it is never going to change. And even if it did and it became a cleaner sport and there was no fighting why would you assume it would pass NBA, NFL, MLB and Nascar in American viewers?

ontariolightning:Patrick Roys son was suspended 15 games in the QMJHL and charged and plead guilty to on ice assault after fighting a goalie that didnt want to fight.http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4538948

Nhl says no discilpline for Emery

Reading from the NBC Sports website, they have this line:

"[Holtby] didn't want to fight and I basically said, 'Protect yourself,'" Emery said, "He didn't really have much of a choice."

If that's not grounds for a suspension, then the entire "Player Safety" group needs to be beaten over the head.

What a complete joke the NHL is. John scott would have gotten a lifetime ban and the coach fined if he did what Emery did.

To recap: John scott hits a guy in the head and gets 7 games despite the fact that he has no previous history of bad hits or suspensions. Chara, the very next night headshots a guy and the league remains silent. Emery starts punching a goalie in the back of the head and nothing. Meanwhile Kaleta just got done serving a 10 game suspension for a questionable hit. How they can even say they are unbiased towards big market cities is beyond me. This is a god damned Micky mouse organization I don't see how you can take the NHL seriously.

It is, you're missing the context. There is no fighting in those games. The NHL could likewise employ 4th line players with skill instead of goons. The games would be better.

The instigator rule makes the fighting contrived and stupid, as the person who needs a punch in the face wont get it. Just have the f*cking referees call penalties, that will sort out the violence. It's a great game it doesn't need the theater (bullsh*t) to sell it anymore.

ontariolightning:Patrick Roys son was suspended 15 games in the QMJHL and charged and plead guilty to on ice assault after fighting a goalie that didnt want to fight.http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4538948

It is, you're missing the context. There is no fighting in those games. The NHL could likewise employ 4th line players with skill instead of goons. The games would be better.

The instigator rule makes the fighting contrived and stupid, as the person who needs a punch in the face wont get it. Just have the f*cking referees call penalties, that will sort out the violence. It's a great game it doesn't need the theater (bullsh*t) to sell it anymore.

/goon free hockey please

No, you're missing the context. Olympic hockey is not NHL hockey. Yes, in 2010 they used a NHL sized rink whereas in Sochi, they'll use an international sized rink. But the rules are different and the rosters are different and it's a short tournament compared to the long NHL season. It's an apples to oranges comparison.

Gecko Gingrich:Furthermore, skating the length of the ice to go after the opposing goalie who is still in his crease, and *clearly* wants no part of it? That should be a very long suspension and hefty fine.

I am someone who tends to defend fighting in hockey as being a way to minimize potential significant injuries; sure this appears violent, but not when compared to the type of hits which often precipitate fighting and would occur in retaliation without this outlet. However, the basic rule has to be the opponent is willing and there is a direct confrontation between the players, and this was anything but. I agree he needs a sizable suspension and fine, and anyone else instigating fights needs at least fines.

They're playing New Jersey tonight, I am afraid for my team. Not because I think the Devils will lose, but because of how pissed off the Flyers are right now! The Devils may win or may lose but they're going to get hurt tonight.